PS3 Review – Logitech Dinovo Mini Keyboard

May 9, 2008
Written by Anthony Severino

We all know using the PS3 on screen keyboard to type, can be very tedious. So tedious, that I have had people whom I’ve sent a PSN message to, reply via email, just so they could just type on their computer.I didn’t really want a huge full-sized keyboard and mouse setup, as I game from the comfort of my couch. I don’t have the space for it and it’s inconvenient.

There is a thumbpad accessory for the PS3. But many have reported that it was a waste of money, even some people claiming it couldn’t even connect to the PS3.

So what is a PS3 owner to do to be able to type with ease? The answer? Logitech Dinovo Mini. Click through for the review…

The Logitech Dinovo Mini is marketed mainly toward Home Theater PC owners who don’t want a huge keyboard in their living room, much like my situation. However it’s not just for the PC. There is a switch on the backside of the mini keyboard that lets you switch from PC to PS3.

This review is only for the PS3 functionality.

This sexy piece of gadgetry goes perfectly with your PS3. It has a glossy (yet easily scratched) transparent black finish. The clamshell design keeps dust and other debris out of the keypad, and overall gives it a nice look. The backlighting gives it some extra wow factor, and is great if you are gaming in the dark.

The Dinovo Mini also syncs perfectly with the PS3 via Bluetooth and it STAYS paired. I have gone through a few headsets because they wouldn’t stay paired with the PS3, and I had to re-pair them every time I turned on the PS3. Want to use it on your PC? Just flip the switch in the back and pop in the included USB bluetooth dongle to your PC’s USB port. Want to go back to your PS3? Flip the switch and you’re ready to go. No need to pair it again.

Typing is easy with the keys being large enough that you arent pressing a few keys at once… a common problem with today’s ‘qwerty’ cell phones. There are media keys such as your normal fast forward, pause/play, volume up/down. It also has your basic keyboard keys as well such as shift, ALT, CTRL, FN. They even thought of the fact it would be hard and very cramped trying to press CTRL + ALT + DEL, so they included its very own key for that.

There is a switch on the front that lets you easily toggle back and fourth from “Mouse mode” which lets you use the touch sensitive pad to scroll like a mouse. Or you can use “Input mode” where the touchpad turns into a dpad which lets you easily navigate through the XMB.

It also works well with Blu-ray playback. Using the media buttons you can launch the BD from the XMB, pause, play, stop, fast forward, and rewind. However there is no triangle button, so you cannot bring up the menu.

Well that’s all of the pros. Here are the cons.

– The price… at $149.99 retail, this isn’t for the average consumer. You can find them cheaper on Ebay, but not for under $100. I bought it because of my need to have something small, and functional. It was worth the cost to meet my needs.

– Lack of PS3 buttons, such as Triangle, Square, Select, etc. If you are browsing the internet this works great, until you need to bring up your bookmarks… There isnt a select button, or if you want to enter a new web address you cant, there isnt a triangle button. However this is easily resolved for most PS3 users, as we already have our controllers handy. You just reach over and press select or whatever button you need.

That’s pretty much it for the cons!

Another thing I haven’t talked about is its use with Linux, it does have a USB dongle so one would assume it would work with Linux, but since I haven’t tried it yet myself, I can’t pass judgment on that.

Once last thing I want to note, is that this thing has a built in lithium ion battery that has a 30+ hour battery life. I have had this item for a week now, and it’s still on its first charge.

PROS – functionality, size, sleek design, use with PS3 or PC

CONS – Price, lack of dedicated PS3 buttons

Price shouldn’t affect a review but I knocked off a point because of its lack of dedicated PS3 buttons. But like I said this can easily be remedied by having a PS3 controller on your lap.

Here is a video of me messaging Azariah on the PS3 with ease. Just flip open the diNovo Mini, and start typing. Sorry about the poor video quality, I never make videos.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxBY5-7_9Ws&hl=en]

Here is another video of using the “Mouse Mode” to browse the internet…